MOULTRIE — It was going to be difficult under normal circumstances for the Colquitt County gymnastics team to repeat its 2006 state championship.

But now the Lady Packers will go into Saturday’s state qualifying meet at Lovett School in Atlanta without two of its top gymnasts and still dealing with the loss of its closest supporter, Becky Bevacqua.

The Lady Packers edged Milton High by .5 of a point in last year’s championships to become the first school outside the Metro Atlanta area to win a state title.

But two of the prime contributors to that championship — Meghan Marshall and Leah May — will not compete at the area meet in which the top six teams advance to the April 27 state championships at the Westminster Schools.

Marshall, all three-time high school All-State gymnast and YMCA national floor champion and All-American, suffered a severe ankle injury on March 10 and is lost for the season.

May, a sophomore who was an All-State performer last year, will be in Mississippi on Saturday to compete in USAG Regionals.

“We are depending on our other members of the team to get us to state,” coach Donna Marshall said.

Those girls are Rachel Dampier, Kambria Blakely, Arrienne Miller and Kaitlin Tucker.

“I am depending on each girl to pull everything they have to get us to state,” Marshall said. “We cannot afford any mistakes.

“Being solid on the beam will be the key, as well as sticking our dismounts.”

Dampier is a veteran of last year’s area and state meets.

“Her vault gave us the extra we needed last year to take the state title,” Marshall said. “I’m really depending on her to give all that she has Saturday.

“I expect her to qualify as an individual on at least two events for state.”

Blakely is just a freshman, but Marshall said she “has what it takes to make it to the individual finals.

“Her vault and beam will give us those extra added points. It is hard with the pressure of not having any room for flaws. I know she will do her job.”

Moore is a sophomore who Marshall says is expected “to dazzle the judges with her floor and beam routines.

“She has worked extremely hard polishing those events. Her dance work is what we need to complete the routines.”

Tucker, also a sophomore, has a clean bar routine, Marshall said.

“I told her that is what we need, clean routines,” Marshall said. “It is important that we keep them clean so we don’t have any points deducted for composition or bobbles.”

In the past, qualifying for the state meet has been done at three locations, with the top two finishers at each site advancing.

This year, all the qualifying will be done in one long day at Lovett School.

“We compete our first event around 9:30 Saturday morning and we are the last group to compete on floor scheduled for 5 p.m.,” Marshall said.

“The hard part will be warming up and then competing an event and then waiting at least an hour and a half between each event.”

If the Lady Packers can finish in the top six on Saturday, they will have May back in the fold when they head to the state championships next week.

“It has been hard this year with all of our mishaps that were not in our plans,” Marshall said. “The loss of Becky Bevacqua and Meghan’s injury have hurt us greatly.

“All of the girls have a chance to get us to state next week. I know the girls can pull us together and get us to state.”